Electric vapor apparatus.



E. PODSZUS.

ELECTRIC VAPOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0014, 1909- Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

EMIL PODSZUS, OF RIXDORF, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

nncrnrc varon Amman.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Application filed October 4, 1909. Serial No. 520,924.

To all 7071 (mi, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL Pooszus, a. subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Rixdorf, near Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Vapor Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to improvements 1n electric vapor apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in electric vapor arc lamps.

The objects of the improvements are first to furnish an apparatus, in which the temperature and therefore the luminous power of the are are increased, and second to so construct the apparatus, that the casing inclosiug the same, which in case of a lamp consists of glass, is in a less degree exposed to the. destructive influence of the vapor, or is entirely protected against the same, so that the durability of the apparatus is greatly increased.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the matters described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose. of explaining the invention several examples embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawing in which the same letters of re erences have been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawing, Figure 1, is a vertical section of an apparatus, and Figs. 2 and 3, are vertical sections of modifications of the same.

Broadly speaking the invention consists in providing means, whereby the vapor is forced to traverse the casing 01' glass bulb in a narrow jet which is prevented from deviating from its direction. and from coming in contact with the wallof the casing. Suitable means for so conducting the vapor consist in a chamber inclosing the metal forming the cathode and provided with an aperture acting as a nozzle and directing the vaporized metal toward the anode Referring to the example shown in Fig. l and illustrating an arc lamp, 1 indicates the glass bulb or envelop whichinclose's at its lower end a hollow body 2 receiving the cathode 3 and at its upper end a similar hollow body 4 receiving the anode 5. By con ductors 6 and 7 the cathode and the anode are connected to the circuit supplying the electric current. The cathode 3 consists of a vaporizable metal, such for example as sodlum, mercury, etc. The chamber inclo'sing the cathode communicates with the hollow of theglas's bulb through an aperture or nozzle 8 made in the upr wall of the h'ollow body 2 and directe upward toward the anode 5'. In asimilar way the chamber inclosing the anode 5 is form ture 9. As shown the said aperture receives the anode 5 which is co'i'istructed in the form of a sleeve. The lower part of the hollow body 4 is formed with an annular channel 10 surrounding the aperture 9, and communicating at its bottom with the hollow body 2 through a tube 11. The hollow bodies 2 and 4 are made of suitable refractory material, such for example as magnesia. The tube is not necessarily made of refractory material,

but of such non-conductive substances as are not aiiected by the destructive influence of the metal forming the anode. If, for example, the latter consists of mercury, the said tube may be made of glass, while in the case of sodium it is made of magnesia, zirconium ed with an ap'er-- oxid of thorium, etc. The anode is made of a material of a high fusing example as iron, carbon, etc.

When using the lamp, the mercury or sodium forming the cathode is vaporized by the heat of the arc, and it produces a certain pressure within the hollow body, because the aperture '8 of the latter is small. By the said pressure the vapor is forced through the aperture or nozzle 8 and it passes through the hollow of the glass bulb 1 to the anode 5 in the form of a jet of small cross-sectional area, without coming in contact with the wall of the glass bulb 1 Within the hollow body 4 the vapor is condensed and it is deposited on the channel 10" from which it flows downward through the tube 11 and back into the hollow body 2. When thus flowing downwardthrough the tube 11 the condensed vapor or metal acts by its static pressure on the metal or vapor contained within the hollow body 2'. I

' In the example illustrated in Fig. '2, the tube 11 shown in Fig. l is dispensed with. Instead of the latter fine a ertures 16 are made in the bottom wall of t e hollow body 14 inclosing the anode 15, and the upper face of the hollow body 12 is inthe form point, such for so that the condensed metal deposited on the said channel can flow into the section 13. The metal contained within the main reservoir 13 is at a higher level than that contained within the subsidiary reservoir 13. Normally the canal 18 is closed by a valve 21 which floats within the metal of the subsidiary reservoir 13 and is thereby held in its closing position. Q

If the arc is started within the lamp in any known way, the metal contained within the hollow body 12 is vaporized, and the arc is formed from the metal within the subsidiary reservoir 13 and from that contained within the main reservoir 13. The latter, however, vaporizes in a greater degree, because it is at a higher level. If the vaporization has proceeded so far, that the level is nearly the same in both reservoirs, the valve is forced downward by the pressure of the mercury gathered within the canal 18. Therefore the metal gathered within the said canal and in the channel 19 flows downward into the main reservoir 13, so as to fill the same. From the latter a part of the metal flows over the partition wall 17 into the subsidiary reservoir 13, so that the level of the latter is raised, the pressure is increased, and the valve is again lifted into its closing position.

The electric are passing from the metal of the reservoir 13 surrounds the main reservoir 13, so as to heat the metal contained therein and to raise the pressure of the vapor.

The aperture or nozzle of the hollow body containing the cathode is exposed to very high temperatures. It is therefore preferably made of substances of a high fusing point, for example of carbon, tungsten, tantalum, or molybdenum. In some cases it is advisable to cool the same, so that it can not be destroyed by the heat. In this case the temperature of the arc can be increased, and thus the character of the light be varied. The cooling of the nozzle is preferably effected by gathering condensed metal near the same, which by its vaporization cools the nozzle, or by locating metallic bodies having large cooling surfaces near the said nozzle. To show what may be done in this respect, an example of a lamp provided with such cooling means is illustrated in Fig. 3. As

reverse shown in said figure, the cathode is inclosed within a chamber 22 communicating with the hollow of the glass bulb through a noz zle 28 of refractory material. Near the said nozzle metallic bodies 31 are located from which metallic cooling elements 32 extend upward. Also the anode is constructed in a manner different from that described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2-. It consists of a thin conductor 25 protected by a tubular body 26 of refractory material and having an enlarged lower end 27 of a material of a high fusing point, such for instance as tungsten, molybdenum, or zirconium. An anode of this construction is brought to glowing temperature by the electric are, so that it partakes of the emission of light.

To prevent the metal flowing back to the cathode from being vaporized by radiation, the tube 34: conducting the same backward is preferably located entirely outside the glass bulb. As shown it is formed at its upper end with an enlarged portion 35 communicating with the upper part of the glass bulb and forming a' condensing chamber. Near the chamber inclosing the cathode the tube 34 is contracted to capillary form, so

that in case of variations in the pressureof the vapor within the metal of the cathode the latter can not be forced into the tube 34, and oscillations of the metal are avoided. By such oscillations the lamp might easily be extinguished.

The lamp is either evacuated, or it is filled with some indiflerent gas, such'for instance as argon.

I claim:

1. In electric vapor arc apparatus, an envelop, electrodes in the same, one of which is vaporizable, and a chamber associated with the 'vaporizable electrode to retain the nnvaporized portion thereof and having a restricted outlet for the discharging vapor and a return passage for the condensed vapor, whereby the vapor is forced to traverse the envelop, toward the other electrode, in a narrow jet which is independent of the form of the envelop: substantially as described.

2. In electric vapor arc apparatus, an envelop, a non-vaporizable electrode therein, a vaporizable electrode in the envelop, and a hollow body to contain the vaporizable electrode and having a restricted outlet nozzle directed toward the non-vaporizable electrode, and a return passage for-the condensed vapor, whereby the vapor is forced to traverse the envelop, toward the other electrode, in a narrow jet which is independ ent of the form of the envelop; substantially as described.

3. In electric vapor are apparatus, an envelop, a non-vaporizable electrode therein, a vaporizable electrode in the envelop, and a hollow body to contain the vaporizable electrode and having a restricted outlet nozzle directed toward the non-vaporizable electrode, and a return passage for the condensed vapor, whereby the vapor traverses tially as described.

4. In electric vapor arc apparatus, an envelop, a vaporizable electrode therein, a nonvaporizable electrode therein, and a hollow body of refractory material to contain the non-vaporized portion of the vaporiza-ble electrode, said body being of greater volume than said non-vaporized port-ion when the apparatus is in operation and having a restricted outlet nozzle at one point and a return passage for the condensed vapor at another point; substantially as described.

5. In electric vapor arc apparatus, an envelop, a non-vaporizable electrode therein, a'

vaporizable electrode therein, a hollow body to contain the non-vaporized portion of the vaporizable electrode when the apparatus is in operation, and having a restricted outlet nozzle from which the vapor is discharged toward the other electrode in the form of a narrow jet, said body being also provided with a separate return passage for the condensed vapor, and a hollow body associated with the non-vaporizable electrode and into which the condensed vapor enters, said last named body having means to discharge the condensed vapor toward the aforesaid return passage of the first named body; substantially as described.

6. In electric vapor are apparatus, the combination of an envelop, a vaporizable electrode, a non-vaporizable electrode, and a hollow body to which the non-vaporizable elect-rode is secured with a free passage around the same communicating with said body, said hollow body serving to receive the condensed vapor, and having means olfset from the non-vaporizable electrode to discharge such condensed vapor continuouslyduring the operation of the apparatus; substantially as described.

'7. In an electric vapor arc apparatus, the combination with an electrode of vaporizable material, and a second electrode of nonvaporizable material having the form of a sleeve, of a hollow body forming a condensing'chamber and inclosing the non-vaporizable electrode within an aperture for the passage of the vapor, and means to cause the vapor to flow between said electrodes in the form of a narrow jet.

8. In electric vapor arc apparatus, the combination of an envelop, electrodes therein, one of which at least is vaporizable, means in the envelop to cause the vapor to traverse the latter in a narrow jet-like stream independent of the form of the envelop, means independent of the jet forming means for returning the condensed vapors to the vicinity of the jet forming means, and a body of indifferent gas in the envelop, through which such stream passes; substantially as described.

9. In an electric vapor arc apparatus, the combination of an envelop, electrodes in the same, one of which consists of vaporizable material, a hollow body inclosing said vaporizable electrode, and having an aperture which is adapted to direct the vapor discharged from said hollow body to the other electrode in the form of a narrow jet, the wall of said aperture being formed of material of high fusing point.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence oftwo witnesses.

EMIL PODSZUS. 

